Well, I did have the best intentions of writing a few times a week throughout October with some Halloween themed crafty things but events (and BT) have conspired against me.

First of all, our internet went down and seemed to take an age to fix. I also have a new Dell laptop, which is soooooo sloooooooow that everything takes three times as long to do. Yes, the air has been blue - in more ways than one because the heating has also failed!!! The hot water went a while ago, so we should have been prepared really. Anyone got the odd £2,000 for a new boiler?

We have been away for a short break, mainly to warm up in a hotel! I realised I really needed to do something about the boiler when Scary said excitedly when we reached the hotel: "Mum, Mum! There's hot water coming out the tap!"

Can you guess where we've been?

There's also been a little bit of this:

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I'll come back later and show you what we've been up to for Halloween.

Friday, 8 October 2010

Today is the first day in months that I have had completely to myself. So let's start with some brioche please and a nice milky cup of coffee:

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The impending celebration of Halloween makes me think I should be starting some creative processes:

We do like to scare the children and make the neighbours tut.

I always used to buy Country Living, but recently I have changed to this magazine:

I shall also be listening to my MP3 today. I have just downloaded the second book in the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries. These are the books that are dramatised as True Blood, currently season 2 is on Channel Four. Oh, it is Good! (Not for people of a sensitive nature though!)

This one might also feature in my reading today.

and maybe a little bit of this:

in my favourite spot on the couch (see the dent?)

looking at my seasonal mushrooms

in my beautiful new shelves

looking up at my very own autumnal tree

and steadfastly refusing to look at the Guide badges that need sewing onto the uniform

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and this wretched file which is Really Starting to Annoy Me

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and even though it is overdue, I will try not to let that worry me when I look at this library book:

Friday, 1 October 2010

Pinch, punch, first of the month and all that. Where did the summer go? I've looked through my photos and have tried to pick out all the good memories from the last few months but have been hampered by the fact that my laptop died on me and, isn't it always the way, there were two months worth of photos on there that I didn't back up!!! Grrrrr!

Wey hey, Mad One's favourite band came to play locally:

Mad One is now to be known as Starfish because she's not quite as mad as she was!

There have been quite a few of these:

and a little bit of this:

(well, I watched and took the photos and swatted wasps with my crochet magazine!)

After many years of trying, I have eventually managed to grow a hollyhock that flowered, even if it was red when it was supposed to be purple!

And my sunflowers were the best I've ever grown.

We have had birthday season (September); Scary on 3rd, Starfish on 9th (that's what comes from getting drunk at Christmas) and the Runner on 13th.

Starfish is now 13 and (scarily) Scary is 15. The tall boyfriend is still hanging on but only just. One day it's on, the next off. You know how it is. There are others lining up, just in case!

Do you like the new dress?

Marathon Runner is not coping very well with daughter in grown-up mode. You've only got to wave a thong at him and he's running for cover! The other day I was moaning about how long she was taking in the shower. I casually mentioned that there are only so many things you can shave, and he had his fingers in his ears going 'la la la'.

Well, the weather is miserable here today; wind and rain blowing all my beautiful autumn leaves off my trees and plants before I've had chance to photograph them! I shall be lighting the fire tonight and I think we will be eating our homity pie in front of it. I lit my first candle last night and I've stocked up on drinking chocolate and suet. Autumn is here, the year's growing older.

Soon it will be Halloween. Shall we have a party just for the children or maybe include some adults this year? Decisions, decisions.